Now here's a little something to encourage you all. All entrants will recieve ingame trophies - a TS2 trophy if you entered a TS2 item, TS3 trophy if you entered a TS3 item - plus those entrants recieving Exceptional awards will get another extra-snazzy ingame trophy, personalised just for them!

Sims 2 Trophies

The trophy that every single accepted entrant will receive:
Fully equipped with wonderful new showing-off animations, thanks to Echo!

And the trophy that Numenor has created for those who's entries are deemed exceptional, as described by Numenor himself...

THE MAGIC PLUMBOB
Special award for selected contestants
in the MTS2 Creator Challenges

This award is reserved to the Challenge contestants whose creations are deemed exceptional for their quality; don't look for attachments: the prize will be personally delivered to winners and can't be downloaded anywhere.

WHAT IS THE MAGIC PLUMBOB
It's a decorative object (find it in the catalog, in Decorative -> Sculptures) formed by an external frame and an internal plumbob, both in perpetual rotation.

FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS

Nine shades of colour + "platinum" (as opposed to the standard plumbob, that has five shades + platinum).

Five "sparkling" effects in tint to the plumbob colour.

Five custom lights automatically triggered when the Plumbob changes colour.

Custom rotating animation for the frame (and standard rotating animation for the plumbob).

Four different "operating modes" (see below) for your pleasure

OPERATING MODES

"Auto-tune in to currently selected sim"
This is the default operating mode (except in community/OFB lots); the Plumbob "tunes in" to the currently selected sim, replicating his/her plumbob (but with more accuracy, having 9 different chades of colour).

"Tune in to Sim..."
This option lets you select any of the sims on the lot, including babies, visitors, NPCs, Social Bunny, Grim Reaper etc. The Plumbob displays the mood of the chosen sim, ignoring the sim selected in the skewer. If the chosen sim disappears from the lot, the plumbob turns black.

"Tune in to Lot"
This is the default mode when the Plumbob is placed in Community or OFB lots. The Plumbob displays the average mood of all the sims on the lot (again, including visitors etc.). If no sims are on the lot, the plumbob turns black.

"Party Mode"
This is funny When you throw a party, its success is mainly based on the Fun, Social and Hunger of your guests; in Party Mode, the Plumbob will display, in turn, only these three motives (average of all the sims on the lot). Therefore, the Plumbob continuously changes colour and light: perfect for parties! :D

Sims 3 Trophies

Both of the trophies can be found under Decorative -> Misc, and are fully recolourable.

Also note if you missed earlier challenges, submissions to them are open, and you may earn a badge for your profile.

Please see below for rules and details
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Good afternoon everyone!

Today we're introducing a new aspect to the site, one which has been discussed among staff for a long time, and which I'm sure many of you will waste no time in squealing excitedly about - MTS2 is proud to present:

Creator Challenges!

Every challenge will have a theme, and it's up to you to create a download or small set to match it! The challenges will be open for one month, during which you must submit your entry if you want to compete. But, if you're not ready by the end of the month, fear not - the category will be reopened up a month after the challenge has closed - remember that only entries submitted in the first month will get trophies.

How do I enter?

Each challenge will be given a special subsection in the spangly new Challenges section of Downloads.

To enter, create your upload in accordance with the theme, and submit it using the Upload Wizard, to the Contests -> [Theme] section. Note that all entries must be up to normal MTS2 standards.

If you're a new creator, this is a great opportunity to have some fun with creating; if you're a seasoned creator in one area, try something new! And if you're old and wrinkly and lacking in creativity, we're even boosting your brain with a theme!

Please take a good look at the Creator Guidelines. They are very specific. And if you're making a sim, try and make sure it's not on the 'do not make more of these' list found here

It is highly recommended that you enter the challenge for the month ONCE. Make one entry. Make it the best you can. Try to enter with enough time that if your entry is requires changes, you'll have a chance to fix it!

Make use of the site create forums to get help with your entries, and the Creator Feedback Forum. It's okay to give folks a peek at your entry, the feedback and help you can get is well worth it.

Watch your PM box to make sure your entry is accepted, or if it needs edits or needs part of it redone, so that you can fix it. It can take several days for the moderators to get to your entry, so keep checking back.

Note: Enter your items as a set as much as possible; most of the time we expect ONE entry per person. So make it the best you can. Quality is far more important than quantity. Specifically if you are doing a simple recoloring thing, such as photos to hang on the walls - make it a set, choose your pictures very carefully - they should be sharp, clear, and not look like parts are cut off or be very distorted (don't put a rectangular picture into a square frame, for instance). You may only enter ONE photo/painting set, and should be a beginning creator. This allows others who might want to join in also have a chance to make something unique. If you do have time to make a second entry, do your best to make it significantly different than the first - or it might not be accepted.

Any upload normally accepted on MTS2 can be entered. That means lots, sims, objects, recolors, hairs and clothes, yes - but also pet breeds, hacks, careers and majors, CAS screens and neighbourhood terrains - be inventive!

How are the exceptional awards decided?

At the end of the challenge month, uploads to the challenge area are closed. Staff will look through the entries, and draw up a shortlist. Then we'll post a poll for all you lot to vote for your favourite entry on. Once the poll is closed, staff will look at the results, and pick three uploads (in no particular order) to be marked as exceptional.

So... what are the PRIZES??!?!

Everyone who enters and whose upload is accepted will receive a shiny little badge on the Challenges section of their Profile, and a lovely in-game trophy object!

Those whose uploads are deemed exceptional, will receive an extra-shiny version of the challenge badge, and an exceptional version of the ingame trophy!

Here's what one of the Challenge Badges looks like, they're different for each challenge, collect them all!

What happens afterwards?
After the challenge month is over, a poll is posted for some user voting, exceptionals announced and the new challenge is announced. A month after the end of the challenge period, the challenge area will be opened to new submissions too - and will stay open for both uploading and downloading. This will let you earn the badge on your profile for past challenges if you wish.

And so, the first MTS2 Creator Challenge...
Note: this is outdated, see the top of the message for the current challenge an any other extra info you might need

This month, the theme is The Ancients! From the sophisticated bathhouses of the Romans and Greeks, to the glorious pyramids of Ancient Egypt - and, of course, SPARTA!! Anything and everything related to this glorious age of civilisation - be imaginative!

Mariane, you don't have to be a grand mesher or something in order to participate, if you can make nice recolours or nice sims, then you can enter those! It'd be a boring challenge if everyone entered the same sort of content.

That's a great idea, I don't want to play in The Ancients with my Sims so I'm not gonna gonna create/ download anything for/ from this challenge, but who knows what future challenges will come, I'll always check it out.